February 25, (THEWILL) – During the week, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiru Onyejeocha posted a photograph of herself in a handshake with her boss, President Bola Tinubu. The caption of the photograph was her revealing that she had a fruitful discussion about the welfare of Nigerian workers. She added that Nigerian workers are one of the priorities of Tinubu who told her that he will not play politics with their lives. While there was nothing wrong with what she claimed they discussed, her message however got lost on her audience who were more interested in two things. First, her opening statement was that she had the ‘privilege’ of meeting her boss.
For a cabinet member who should make it top priority to give updates to her boss on a regular basis on what she is doing in the ministry to help him achieve his aim to make Nigeria a working country, one wonders if she really does give her boss updates. She joins her colleagues to attend the weekly ministerial briefings presided by her boss in Aso Rock. So what does she really do at those briefings? Ministerial briefings! That is what the meetings are called.
When she said she was privileged to meet him, was that really their first-time of meeting? Again, who presides over the meetings between the federal government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Trade Union Congress, (TUC)? Isn’t that under her purview? Who gives her boss feedback after such deliberations and who mediates to prevent the labour unions from going on industrial strikes when they threaten to? Isn’t that her job? Shameful much? Besides her opening statement, Minister Onyejeocha’s style of dressing was ‘indecent’ for lack of a better word. While her pants, turtleneck blouse and tweed blazer looked modest, she made sure to display her Louis Vuitton scarf and Gucci belt as loudly as possible, like an upstart who has just come into money.
Her choice of accessory as a public servant who receives her salary from taxpayers’ money, in an era where inflation has hit the roof and millions are grappling with eating three decent square meals daily, was to say the least, insensitive. The same politicians who preach for the masses who work hard with nothing to show for it, to wear made-in-Nigeria products, to stay hungry as they take them to the ‘promised land,’ are the same ones displaying with obscenity, foreign brands bought with dollar and further boosting the American currency, while the Naira continues to have an uncontrolled free fall.
It is okay to not blame her for the economic challenge the country is passing through, but it is certainly not ok for her to lack emotional intelligence.
